


Whiter Shade of Pale

by TC_Stark



Category: Outlast (Video Games), iZombie (Comics), iZombie (TV)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blaine had a childhood friend, Drug Use, F/M, Hurt and comfort, I use Eddie Gluskin in name only, Longtime friends, Memory Loss, Mentioned parental abuse, Sickness, Spoilers, Strained Relationships, Underage Drinking, Underage Sex, Zombies, dying, slight AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-15
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-06-02 10:16:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,073
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6562378
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TC_Stark/pseuds/TC_Stark
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As Blaine is given a second chance at life (or something like that) after being killed by Mr. Boss, he must come face to face with the reality that he is dying. In these moments, he chooses to reflect on a past relationship and feels the need to reconcile before meeting his maker. This story takes place in season 2 after "Eternal Sunshine of the Caffeinated Mind" and follows the storyline slightly, with having different outcomes. CONTAINS SPOILERS</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> I wasn't sure about posting this, as it is solely really for my entertainment. I do use Lexi, who is a common character of mine. I just like her and like this dynamic. I'm going off the idea that as we know, Blaine grew up rich. So, he was introduced at a young age to his childhood friend from a business arrangement between his father and another man. Please give me feedback, I'd love to hear what you think.

Blaine always mocked the idea of death. Even as a younger man, so much of what he did could have easily led to his demise. Drinking and driving, taking massive amounts of drugs, and just countless things that showed he truly didn’t value his life. When he had become a zombie, he even bragged about being undead - told others to accept that they were no longer alive, and had even killed many, in his pursuit to his useless throne.

 

After having his throat slit by the man he thought he could outsmart, Blaine slowly began to realize that death was no laughing matter. Even that, he had somehow survived. Blaine had been talking so much about how wonderful it was to be a zombie and suddenly he was one again. Only, there wasn’t the allure of immortality this time - only emanant death that was promised due to a side effect of the  _ cure.  _

 

Suddenly, death wasn’t so appealing. As he coughed his way through another meal and took a glance at his faithful servants, he realized how pathetic and weak it actually was. Not too long ago, they had a thriving business. Selling brains was meant to put cash in their pockets and getting into the Utopium trade was meant to make them kings. Now, he wanted nothing to do with the drug and feeding zombies was a matter of ethics and not earning cash. Morale was low around the funeral home that was for sure.

 

That day, Blaine had picked out his casket. It had been something he had been through a dozen times with his clients, but picking one out for himself had been a disheartening task indeed. He felt no comfort, as he always thought he provided for others. There was no one to walk him through. Take his hand; make it seem like it was just another journey. It wasn’t a step in life - it was the end.

 

Being so close to death, Blaine realized there were a few things he had wanted to get in order. There was choosing his casket, giving Don E and Chief the passcodes to every bank account and his list of zombie clients. That was all business though. There was something personal he needed to take care of before going off to that great big whatever in the sky.

 

Sitting in the dark one night, after having his last known  _ friends  _ leave for the day, Blaine sat at his desk. A bottle of wine that he couldn’t properly taste and a bottle of Bloody Mary mix - extra spicy - to the side of it. Disgusting. But, he degressed. Staring at his phone, he scrolled through the list of people, realizing so many were drug dealers, murderers, and anything in between. What had really happened to his life?

 

Coming upon the name  _ Lexi  _ Blaine sat there for a moment, staring at the name and the number. It was one he hadn’t bothered calling in three years, yet for some reason had kept in his phonebook. It wouldn’t make sense to hold onto someone’s number that he had had a falling out with. In the span of three years, he had changed phones and numbers so many times. Yet, with each one...hers was the first to be entered in.

 

Letting out a sigh, Blaine groaned to himself, “Suck it up, man, you’ll be dead soon.”

 

With those words of encouragement, Blaine pressed the call button and put the phone up to his ear, “ _ The number you have reached is not in service anymore…” _

 

The automated message continued for a few more seconds, but Blaine hadn’t heard any of it. All he had heard was the sound of any hope of making peace with his childhood friend shattering. A woman who he had known since she was eight and he was twelve, when their rich fathers had first struck a deal with each other. A woman who he had shared countless hours playing with, watching TV, listening to music, and traveling with. A woman who he never got to tell how he felt about and who he had cursed, yelled, and called every name in the book when she told him she was marrying a known woman beater.

 

Putting his face in his hands, Blaine hunched over his desk and allowed himself to do something that he had only felt like doing a few times in his life. When his mother died, when he had to kill his grandfather, and when it seemed like Mr. Boss had finally won. He wept at the knowledge of dying alone.

* * *

 

Ravi and Liv were hard at work, as usual; when Blaine walked into the morgue. They really needed better security. But, seeing the criminal step in was nothing new and considering he was essentially their lab rat, they didn’t care. Major for some reason hadn’t turned back yet - perhaps for the reason he had never been a zombie for long or hadn’t touched brains, before being  _ cured.  _

 

Though, any witty remark they had for him was quelled when they saw how sickly he looked and how much he was coughing. Liv cleared her throat and greeted him with a simple hello, before Blaine was handing her a piece of paper, “I know you can use your fancy police resources - I need the address of this woman.”

 

“Stalking women now?” Liv tutted, before gawking at the paper, “Blaine, you want me to find Lexi Sincerbeaux? No! I’m not going to find where the daughter of one of the biggest hotel brand’s lives so you can sell her brain!”

 

“I’m NOT selling her brain! I want to find her, so I can talk to her.”

 

Ravi snorted, “Why?”

 

Feeling pestered, Blaine irritably responded, “I know you two think my last name is Debeers, but it’s McDonough. Like Blaine McDonough, of the McDonough family - like Angus McDonough. Our fathers knew each other, we were friends, we haven’t spoken in three years and I’d like to make up with her before I kick the big one. Now, does that appeal to your bleeding hearts or do I really need to go full soap opera?”

 

Exchanging glances momentarily, Liv took the piece of paper and tucked it into her pocket. The truth was, it was weird helping Blaine find a woman who he cared very much about, clearly. Considering he had killed Lowell, held Major hostage, and forced Drake to work for him - she should have told him to take a hike. But, something in his eyes prevented her from doing that and she genuinely wanted to help.

* * *

Of course Lexi would be living in one of the nicest apartment complexes in Seattle. Apparently, from what Liv had found out, she had come back to her home state after a three year stay in Miami, with her ex-husband. Being a Sincerbeaux had already provided her with good money, but he was sure she also got a good settlement from the divorce.

 

So, there Blaine was on the 5th floor, taking in deep breathes as he read the name  _ Sincerbeaux  _ on the door. He was glad she had decided to go back to her maiden name after the divorce; he hated how  _ Lexi Gluskin  _ sounded. It was never the fact that she was twenty-three and he was forty when she and Eddie met. It was never after a year of dating they decided to wed. It was who that man was - what everyone in their kind of world knew him for: a woman beater. He didn’t care his best friend was getting married - he had been the one not wanting a legitimate relationship. It was just  _ him,  _ all him.

 

“Blaine?”

 

Just as he was about to ring the bell, Blaine heard a familiar voice behind him. Heart pounding faster than it ever had in his entire zombie existence, the blonde haired man turned to see the woman he had called a  _ money grubbing whore  _ three years prior. Still as stunning as ever, even if all she was wearing were skinny jeans, a long sleeved v neck top, and her signature five inch pumps.

 

Nervously laughing, he didn’t know what else to say, other than refer to the bags of groceries she was holding, “Let me help you.”

 

Lexi could see there was a struggle in Blaine’s step. He looked frail - he was never a heavy man, but had been a chubby kid and certainly more bloated in his heavy drinking days. Now, his hair was bleach blonde and he was as pale as a ghost. There were dark circles under his eyes and she heard the gurgle in his cough.

 

Frowning, Lexi cleared her throat and handed him a set of keys, “Why don’t you just open the door.”   
  
Though feeling useless, Blaine did comply with what she asked him to do and opened the door. It was strange how they weren’t even greeting each other. No hug, no words. He just watched Lexi walk by him and place all her bags down as he shut the door behind him. It was all she could do - he looked so sick and they had left things off so badly; she didn’t know how to act.

 

Turning around, she saw him standing in a way she had never seen him before. So sullen, so broken. Sighing, he expressed, “This isn’t how I pictured us talking again.”

 

“Me either.” She simply responded.

 

“You disconnected your phone.”

 

Lexi frowned, crossing the space between them to reach out and hold his cheek. She shouldn’t have had sympathy for him. Should have kicked him out. Truthfully though, it was out of instinct to be this way with him. And she had said just as many bad things, as he had said to her. In the end, he had been completely right about Eddie.

 

“I’m sorry...I didn’t know what to do.” Lexi spoke softly.

 

Like a child clinging to his mother, Blaine wrapped his arms around the twenty-seven year old’s waist, pulling her into his body. There was no resistance from the other party, just acceptance as he clung on tight. His head rested in her shoulder, smelling her as if he had never before. Trying to remember exactly how she felt against him.

 

A few moments passed of her holding him, Blaine sadly confessed, “I’m dying, Lexi. I’m sorry to have come here...I...I had to make peace, before-”

 

Feeling Lexi push him away, Blaine stopped as Lexi looked in his eyes for answers, “What do you mean you’re dying? What is it, Blaine? Cancer, AIDS? What?”

 

“It’s worse than that, Lexi, and I can’t explain it right now,” Blaine sighed expressively, begging her, “I just don’t want to die alone. I’ve pushed everyone away and I don’t want to die with our last conversation being me telling you to go fuck yourself, and...please, don’t let me die alone.”

 

Lexi frowned, reaching out to hold his face as he reassured, “It’s okay...it’s okay...I said bad things too. You don’t need to apologize, I’m not going to go anywhere.”

 

“But, I am…”

 

Lexi liked to think of herself as a strong woman. Perhaps, in her younger years; she had been a little bratty. Entitled. Coming from a rich family had done that to her. Through the years, she matured and used that self-entitlement into a drive to better herself and carry herself well. When she had divorced, she found even greater of a need to be persistent and confident - because it was so easy for the world to want to break down a powerful female.

 

Seeing Blaine in this state, though; was difficult for her. There couldn’t be a wall with her, when it came to him. It wasn’t time to be a spitfire. It was time to be a friend again - nurturing. Even up to her death, the late Mrs. McDonough had always said Lexi had motherly instincts; even when all she was concerned with as a teenager was breaking young boy’s hearts. Ironic, since she couldn’t have children of her own. Another reason why Eddie felt the need to beat her.

 

Gently taking his hand into hers, she urged him to go sit with her. They went to her large bedroom, which had brightly white colored walls and what looked like silky, white sheets on her bed. Purple pillows. It looked like a swanky hotel room and Blaine wondered if she had a housekeeper or if Lexi had just become tidy in their years apart.

 

“I own a business, Lex,” Blaine coughed, as he kicked his shoes off to sit on the bed, “I want to discuss leaving it to y-”

 

Cutting him off before he could go any further, she urged him just to lay down, “Let’s talk about that later.”

 

Blaine didn’t protest, as he soon fell asleep - a mild cough disrupting him here and there. Lexi held her forehead, as she felt his body moving towards her instinctively. It was such a strange moment to be in. There had often shared a bed together in the past - whether it was in platonic or romantic form. None of those times, though; had been with the foreshadowing of death looming over them. 

 

Despite that Blaine at times, could be arrogant. Selfish. Manipulative - he had been her best friend since she was eight years old. They had done everything together. Seen everything. Movies, trends, cars, vacations; they just told themselves that they weren’t going to be a couple because it was what their fathers wanted them to be. To join the two big families. Blaine had had girlfriends, Lexi had had boyfriends, and there was never a time that they weren’t cheating on their love interests with each other. Even throughout her whole marriage to Eddie, who she thought she loved; she was always thinking about her friend.

 

_ “Eddie? Eddie fucking Gluskin, Lexi!?” Blaine had screamed in the middle of his drug infested house - twenty-six years old and cut off from his rich father and just starting to work for Mr. Boss. _

 

_ Standing in red five inch heels, a twenty-two year old Lexi folded her arms and narrowed her eyes, “Watch your mouth, Blaine, you have neighbors.” _

 

_ “Fuck the neighbors,” A brown haired Blaine threw his hands up, “Why? Why, Lex? Why him? It’s not enough that he’s twice your age or that you just started dating him a year ago - what’s wrong? You don’t have enough money you have to marry him and move to Miami? Why!? Seattle not good enough for you anymore? I thought you were more than just a spoiled brat.” _

 

_ Infuriated, Lexi spat back, “Do you not remember that I have money of my own? I chose to do something with the fortune I was given - not sell drugs and get cut off! And I don’t care that you did, I know how much of a bastard your father is, but you don’t get to say those things to me. You’re supposed to be my best friend!” _

 

_ “I am! That’s why I’m telling you that this son of a bitch will beat the shit out of you! He’s a known woman beater! Are you that desperate to get away? Or do you just like being treated like a spoiled fucking princess?” _

 

_ “Excuse me?” Lexi sneered. _

 

_ Nostrils flaring, Blaine retorted, “You heard me. You’re fucking twenty-two and you look like a goddamn hooker with those fucking shoes and your fur jacket and skanky dress. And your fake fucking tits that he just bought you!” _

 

_ There was a burning rage building up inside of Lexi’s being, as she stepped forward and glared deep into his eyes, “If I look like a skank, I just might be your type. What’s wrong, Blaine? You’re allowed to fuck any bitch you want, but I find love and there’s a problem? I told you about the engagement so you would be part of my life! At the wedding!” _

 

_ The bellowing in Lexi’s voice shook Blaine to the core, his eyes wide and wild as they seemed to stare off at each other. It had all started with her coming over and his gaze immediately locking onto the rock on her ring finger. Billionaire Eddie Gluskin and she had been dating for a year and everyone knew he was wanting to move back to Miami. It was a relationship the drug dealer hadn’t liked since day one - not since the first time he was told he couldn’t see his best friend because the older man didn’t like it. _

  
_ Furious though, over their fight, Blaine simply leaned forward and spelled out, “Get out of my house, you dumb, stupid, whore.” _


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the long wait everyone! I know it's been a while since I've updated - it's been, god, just so busy lately. How about that season finale? I know it ended a certain way, but this is still a story that will go in a different direction than what we've seen. Also, let us take a moment to weep over waiting until 2017 for season 3 :'(

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please review and let me know what you think!

Blaine had been right, of course.

 

Eddie had been an abusive, manipulative, all around terrible man. It wasn’t long after the wedding that his extreme jealousy issues came to surface. There had been times within the first few years of marriage that Lexi would try to meet up with Blaine, only for her husband to almost always show up or to constantly pester her phone with messages of fake meetings and just about anything to get her to either cancel or leave their rendezvous early.

 

It wasn’t until Eddie insisted on moving to Miami for his business that things took a very wrong turn. In Florida, Lexi couldn’t even ask for a drink at the bar without her husband accusing her of flirting - when honestly, they were at a beach and everyone was nice and clad in skimpy bathing suits. Despite perhaps looking like a materialistic person, she simply took care of herself, and would never cheat. Something he never understood.

 

And when they both found out she couldn’t have children, Eddie no longer held back. The real abuse had begun. Lexi almost forgave the times he held onto her wrists too tightly and even when he would grab her arm aggressively. It was when they needed the cops called because the neighbors could hear his yelling and she went to the hospital to treat her injuries that she knew he had taken it too far. The days of black eyes, bruises, and busted lips were over.

 

Part of Lexi had hoped that when she came back to Seattle that she and Blaine would reunite. Despite the nasty things they both said to each other, he had still been her best friend since the age of eight years old. Endless days of being all each other had weren’t going to magically disappear.

 

When Blaine had finally woken up, it was to the smell of cigarettes. Lexi had began smoking at the age of 15, admittedly because he was the one to introduce her to them. He remembered picking her up from school and telling her it’d make her look cool. _Boys will like you - gotta make up for your flat chest._ She had obviously gotten tasteful implants since then. Shit, he had been a jerk when they were younger.

 

“I’d kill for one right now.” Blaine groaned.

 

“I wouldn’t give you one,” Lexi retorted, putting it out and sinking back into the bed with him, “Let me take you to the doctor, Blaine. I know a good one in town.”

 

Shaking his head, the zombie groaned as he sat up. A good sleep had made him feel better, even if there was a slight tickle in his throat. Doing his best to ignore it, Blaine explained, “I can only see one doctor.”

 

“Then we’ll go there.”

 

It had never been a problem for Blaine to explain the whole _Team Z_ dilemma. When you were responsible for most of Seattle’s zombies, the speech was pretty much memorized in the back of your head. It had only been Peyton he hadn’t initially told, because of not wanting to mess his case up against Mr. Boss. And probably due to his attraction to her. Now, he felt like getting the words out to Lexi was the hardest thing he ever had to do.

 

“I know you were in Miami at the time, but did you hear about the Boat Party Massacre on Lake Washington like almost two years ago?” He asked.

 

Lexi nodded, “It was all over the news. Something about Max Rager? I heard there were no survivors.”

 

“There were two,” Blaine corrected, “Apparently, Max Rager and Utopium are a nasty combination. Yea, I had started selling U a little prior to that. I was there passing it around like candy...and of course drinking Super Max. It was me and one other person who survived...coincidentally, she’s kind of my doctor too.”

 

“Blaine...what happened?”

 

Frowning, Blaine could feel a lump forming in the back of his throat, as he just put it out there, “That combination turned me into a zombie. I went crazy, somehow survived, and scratched that other survivor and made her a zombie. It makes for an odd relationship between she and I.”

 

Not saying anything at first, Lexi let out a deep sigh and touched Blaine’s hand, “Darling...you can’t expect me to believe that.”

 

Meh. Better reaction than he expected. With a deep sigh, the brain dealer nodded his head and agreed, “I know...but, you’re gonna have to.”

 

Closing his eyes, Blaine opened them back up only for them to be completely red. When he had first met Liv, he had asked if raging out was at all appealing to her. Due to her not seeming interested and clearly not liking him, he dropped the subject and really never brought it up to anyone again. But, the truth was...he loved it. It was an adrenaline high, a sense of power, and he could control it better than he had ever been able to control anything in his life before. It would have let him easily kill his father if he hadn’t wanted the satisfaction of making Angus reliant on him. Such a glutton for revenge.

 

The act though seemed to shock Lexi, who was never very outwardly expressive; but the red eyes were enough to jump and demand, “What the hell, Blaine!?”

 

“It’s okay...I’m not going to hurt you,” Blaine put his hand out, making sure they were both on a calm level as his eyes returned to normal, “Just one of the things that come along with being a zombie. C’mon, Lex, you think I would have went blonde voluntarily?”

 

* * *

 

It had taken about two hours to explain everything to Lexi. And he meant everything. From what it actually meant to be a zombie, to everything that happened with Meat Cute, Shady Plots, and finally Mr. Boss. Even his rejection from Peyton wormed its way in there, because he didn’t know how long he had and Blaine wanted to make sure she had the truth.

 

“It’s why I wanted to discuss about giving you my business…” Blaine trailed off.

 

Taking everything in, Lexi simply reached over and ran her thumb along the span of his neck and gently asked, “You were really almost killed...oh, Blaine, taking on Mr. Boss…”

 

Blaine snorted, “Stupid. I know. I just wanted to regain power again - I felt on top of the world when I was running Meat Cute, but an operation that large was too risky.”

 

Lexi knew Blaine’s upbringing. It didn’t surprise her that he would do anything he could to try to be the big man on top. Even if it meant murdering innocent teenagers. It should have been a moment when any sane person demanded he leave, but perhaps she wasn’t all up there either. The man in front of her still was her best friend and growing up the way they did, she knew they weren’t always on the right side of the law.

 

“So, you’re a zombie again?”

 

Nodding, Blaine sighed, “Yea, only thing that probably saved my life...for the time being. Sorry - that means no kanoodling. You look great, Lex, but let’s admit, you wouldn’t pull off the whole white hair look.”

 

Bristling, Lexi held her chin up and warned, “I love my hair, Blaine, don’t you dare scratch me.”

 

Breaking out in a smile, Blaine leaned in and gently pecked her lips and winked, “Would never dream of it.”

 

A small comforted smile formed on Lexi’s lips, as she felt that familiar sense of serenity when around him. It hadn’t mattered what stage of life either of them were in; Blaine always felt like home to her. Even when she was apparently a bratty eight year old and he was twelve - somehow, she was wormed her way into his heart.

 

Hunching over his knees, Blaine rubbed his face and groaned, “You know...in these few years we haven’t seen each other...I want you to know...I’m sorry about our first time.”

 

“What do you mean, Blaine? You and I have always fooled around throughout the years.”

 

“I know...maybe it’s the brain I’m on...or that I’m off drugs, but I feel guilty, Lexi. You were fourteen...I was eighteen.” Blaine trailed off; feeling a tightening in his chest.

 

Lexi frowned, as she reached over to take his hand, “I wanted it, Blaine, you don’t need to feel sorry over that. Besides...let’s not talk about that. I’m worried about you - please let me take you to this Ravi person.”

 

“Maybe this is karma for all those kids I killed.”

 

* * *

 

Lexi had managed to convince Blaine to get in the car so she could take him to see Ravi and Liv. Though just introduced to zombies and the side effects of eating brains, she wasn’t sure that his behavior was all the result of the man he had consumed. Having a brush with death and being a doomed man seemed to weigh on her childhood friend - he seemed so lifeless without his usual wit.

 

“I had read that Angus was one of the Chaos Killer’s victims,” Lexi brought up, deciding to somewhat change the subject, “Is he frozen too? By this...Major?”

 

Blaine could hear the coldness in Lexi’s voice. Growing up together, with their fathers as friends and business partners, she had had just as much experienced with his dad as he did. She knew everything of course. His mother killing himself, the abuse by the hands of Frau Bader, his father’s inability to love, and his grandfather being carted off to a nursing home, where he had to sneak to so Angus wouldn’t know.

 

Seeing the stiffness in her body, he reached over and placed his hand on her thigh, giving it a comforting squeeze, “I negotiated for his body. Had two of my employees torture him to get his money. Then I had him on his knees….and I put two bullets in his skull….”

 

Amber eyes focused on the road, but Blaine could see the relief. Angus had been a bane to both of them and at times, he knew it was worse for her than it was for him. Lexi’s grip tightened around the steering wheel, as she nodded, “Good...he can’t hurt anyone anymore.”

 

“You know...we both have daddy issues. But, they say it’s the fucked up ones that are the best in bed and I’ve always been great.” Blaine quipped, attempting to make light of the subject.

 

Rolling her eyes, Lexi glanced over and smiled, “At least we dealt with it together.”

* * *

  


Ravi had been alone when Blaine arrived at the morgue with his friend. Liv and Drake apparently had a date night that evening, as she was going to talk to him about finding out the male zombie was an undercover cop. Of course, this fact was still unknown to the funeral home director - who still believed his newest recruit was just a thug working as a double agent for him in Mr. Boss’s crime organization.

 

The British doctor remembered when they had first met Blaine - how wary Liv was of him. She didn’t want to leave the male zombie alone with her boss and maybe looking back on it - it was the right move. Despite everything that the brain dealer had did, for some reason Ravi, even to this day; never thought that he’d end up eaten by the other man. Coming to know Debeers in the way he did - it wouldn’t benefit him to kill the doctor or the morgue attendant.

 

Admittedly though, Ravi was more concerned with Blaine’s friend. Part of him wanted to be angry. Why was it that the former drug addict had the easiest time with the most attractive women? First Peyton, now this one. Honestly, he didn’t understand the supposed charm that easily fooled otherwise strong females.

 

“Lexi, meet the doctor I was telling you about. He thought I was gonna kidnap you.” Blaine introduced.

 

Lexi’s thinly defined eyebrow raised, as a playful smirk pulled at her exotic features, “He is. Oh, please help.”

 

Both Ravi and Blaine seemed to roll their eyes simultaneously as the doctor instead stuck his hand out, “Dr. Chakrabarti.”

 

“Call him Ravi.” Blaine added.

 

Ravi didn’t mean to act a bit cold. His nature was telling him to be kind and polite. After all, he didn’t know this woman. But, the fact that she seemed on a friendly level with Blaine was enough to make him wary. Lexi may have come from a rich family and seem to be making her own fortune, but she was still close to the brain dealer and that made him worry.

 

“Ravi,” Lexi tasted the name in her mouth, “Blaine said you’ve been working on a cure?”

 

Assuming the black haired woman knew about the zombie predicament, he nodded, “Yes. Now, we have a cure. But, it hasn’t been tested.”

 

“Neither was the one our little blonde haired friend shot me up with last year.” Blaine quipped, pointedly glaring at the doctor.

 

Ravi’s nostrils flared as he stepped away, leaving Lexi with enough time to shoot Blaine a look that said to stop it. Sometimes, the younger woman could be quite maternal with her friend and it reminded him why he used to teasingly call her mom back in the day. Though, the late Mrs. McDonough was beautiful, so she always took it as a compliment.

 

Rejoining the odd duo, Ravi held up a capped syringe and began explaining, “This is an emergency, just in case, break glass zombie cure. I’m only giving it to you because…” The doctor trailed off, realizing Lexi was standing next to Blaine and curious if she knew the whole story.

 

“I’m aware of Blaine’s...business,” Lexi informed the doctor, “I think it’s understandable if he doesn’t give you his client list, considering everything he’s done in the past. You may not want to help him at all if you knew who he dealt brains to and despite the grudges you and your friends hold against him...he’s my friend and my concern is his well being.”

 

Trying his best not to show it, Blaine felt a sense of happiness inside of him. Despite everything the two of them had been through, Lexi was still defending him. Perhaps, he should have learned to do that a long time ago, but it was always more satisfying watching her in action. Seeing the one person alive in his life who still cared about him.

  
And for some reason it eased Ravi - it made Blaine more human...well...you know what he means. Holding the syringe up, he could only add cryptically, “Good luck.”


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little long! It's moving the plot right along, because I don't like messing around ;)

Blaine coughed the entire ride to the funeral home. Before even flirting with the idea of taking the cure, he wanted to show her the business that he seemed so proud of. Personally, Lexi thought a high end delicatessen suited their upbringing better, but at least there was some sense of morality attached to his current investment. Of course, the idea of knowing what her best friend had done was unsettling, but she usually took the man in whatever form he was in at any moment.

“Is it bad that I’m hungry?” Lexi pondered, as they both exited the vehicle.

“Wanting food the second we pull up to a funeral home? You sure you’re not a zombie?” Blaine teasingly questioned, as the hotel heiress placed her hands on her hips and glared.

Surprisingly enough, the establishment didn’t smell of death. Lexi had been expecting some sort of scent when she entered, but all she was welcomed with was actually remnant of vanilla. She wondered if this was done on purpose - maybe to ease a grieving loved one’s mind or perhaps to hide whatever they were doing downstairs.

With her purple pumps slightly clicking as she walked further into the place, a larger set of feet approaching pulled Lexi’s attention from the piano she saw. Blaine was always a wonderful musician. Part of it had been his mother’s doing - putting him into music programs - and part of it was that the McDonough was talented and had a good instrumental ear.

Amber eyes widening, Lexi tucked a strand of her black haired bob-cut hair behind her ear with an acrylic nail, as she saw a mountain of a man join them. Part of the reason for wearing five inch heels was because in reality, she was only 5’3”. Blaine was a reasonably tall man, but she was sure this newcomer had a foot on her friend, at least.

Almost amused by her outward shock, Blaine introduced, “Lexi, meet Chief. Personal bodyguard. Also, a zombie. Chief, where’s Don E and Candy?”

Lexi simply observed, as Chief pulled a phone out to start typing on and turned the phone to show Blaine. He had groaned a little, responding, “Please have Don E see if he can track down Candy - I didn’t know I was turning when...anyway, please also sanitize the McDermotts’ casket. Thanks.”

Chief nodded and went onto his daily duties, as Blaine motioned for Lexi to follow him downstairs, “Why was he not talking?” She asked.

“He’s mute. I think it may have been a side effect of becoming a zombie,” Blaine shrugged, “He seems okay with it. Chief is my bodyguard, Don E is...I don’t know, old running buddy, but he’s good with the business, and Candy....well, up until recently, she used to be the makeup artist here.” 

“Did you fuck her and turn her into a zombie?” 

“I didn’t know I was turning when we fucked. Shush.” The zombie rolled his eyes, turning the lights on downstairs.

Admittedly, seeing the downstairs of a morgue was a bit disconcerting, but Lexi was thankful there were no actual dead bodies. Blaine headed to the fridge, where he plucked out a container that so obviously had the top half of a brain in it. The awkward moment caused the two to just stare at one another, as he explained, “I need to eat. Kind of starving and you’re starting to look delicious.”

“I’m always delicious,” Lexi tutted confidently, before falling into a playful smile, as she stepped over to where there was an open bottle of wine, “May I?”

Perching up on a stool, Blaine popped the container over, “Help yourself.”

As Lexi poured herself a glass, the zombie sliced up some chunks of the brain and mixed it with wasabi and soy sauce, using chopsticks to eat his meal. At Meat Cute, he at least had a chef who knew how to transform the metallic tasting flesh into something appetizing and luxurious. Unfortunately, he was not so creative with his own culinary skills. He wondered if Liv had picked up any tricks during her time of being undead.

Taking a seat on another stool, Lexi crossed her legs and brought the glass of white to her lips, “Remember when we went to Morimoto’s restaurant in Philly and thought we were so brave for eating blow fish? I thought I had become adventurous in France eating snails and foie gra, but you definitely win with human brains.”

“I would kill for some foie gra right now,” Blaine grumbled, while popping a chunk into his mouth, “You should have been around when I owned Meat Cute - that crazy chef made the best gnocchi fra diavolo you’ve ever had.”

With a small shrug, Lexi teased, “You know I’m far more of a fan of Greek...food.”

Of course, the two of them were never as pretentious as they liked to play around as. Growing up with rich families, there was a certain level of class and poshness that was expected of them. Neither really made their fathers proud, staying up at night listening to the Sex Pistols and Nirvana, smoking marijuana, and stealing whatever fancy car they could to take long road trips.

While swallowing a piece of brain, Blaine suddenly began coughing. The chunk had gone down just fine, but it somehow tickled the back of his throat and suddenly he couldn’t stop. Lexi quickly put her wine glass down and rushed over to the distressed zombie, trying to smooth his back as he desperately tried to get a grasp of himself.

It wasn’t until Chief came down, after hearing the commotion; that Blaine seemed to relax, holding his hand up and nodding to show he was okay. It had only been a few days since he had become a zombie again and already he was beginning to get used to the little coughing fits. What a terrible way to live.

Frowning, Lexi traced her finger behind his ear and softly insisted, “Why don’t we get you into bed?”

Not having the strength to argue or make a joke, Blaine nodded while allowing Chief to help him up. How terrible it was to feel helpless. It almost felt familiar; like when he was nine and Fra Bader pushed him down the stairs - causing his ankle to break. And his father to beat both he and his mother, for accusing Angus of lying when he insisted the nanny hadn’t been the cause of their son’s injury.

* * *

Blaine had been laying out on Lexi’s plush bed, when she stepped into the room holding two mugs, “I made hot chocolate.”

“You actually used a kitchen appliance?” Blaine’s now raspy voice teased, resulting in her touching the bottom of the hot mug against his exposed abs, “Ow, fuck, Lex, just joking. Do you have any hot sauce? I know it sounds disgusting, but-”

“I put cayenne pepper in it.”

Thanking the younger woman, the zombie sat up in the bed to graciously take the mug. They sat in silence for a moment or two, cautiously sipping on the hot beverage. It gave Blaine a moment to look his childhood friend over; she was wearing a simple white tank top and black silk shorts. Lexi had always had a nice, feminine body. Lean in the right areas, flat where it mattered, and curvy where it counted. She had always been tan and he saw that maturing and working out had transformed her into a real bombshell - he should never write fan fiction. 

The thing was, Lexi was all those things that made up a  _ fake  _ girl. But, she owned it. She liked to tan, wear form fitting clothes, show skin, get her nails done, and use high end makeup products. Yea, her breasts were fake and she liked fooling around, but she was down to earth and wasn’t ashamed of who she was. A woman could be many things, not fit into a box, and shouldn’t be looked down upon for her decisions. There wasn’t just one way to be a woman and as she said, you could be wearing sweats with no makeup or full glam and neither should be put down.

“Lexi,” Blaine cleared his throat, “I’m going to take the cure.”

Setting her mug down, Lexi softly asked, “Are you sure?”

There was legitimate fear in her childhood friend’s eyes, as he confessed to her, “I don’t want to die.”

Lexi reached out to grab a hold of his hand and sighed audibly, “Damn, Blaine...you do know how to make an entrance back into someone’s life.”

A weak laugh escaped Blaine’s lips, as he wrapped his arm around his friend’s shoulder and brought her in. Truthfully, he was scared as hell. When Liv had first injected him, all  he had concentrated on was that he was human again. There was no thought of what it would do to him, because at the time the cure had no side effects. This time, they knew there would be risks - that everything was uncertain. 

“Am I that pathetic that I’m praying in my head?” Blaine laughed weakly.

“This will be okay, Blaine. It will be.”

* * *

As the sun peaked through the blinds in the master bedroom, Lexi was reminded it was morning. She rolled over to look at Blaine, who was still sleeping. He had injected himself the previous night with the cure and since there were no immediate reactions, they had gone to bed. Secretly, she prayed herself that he would be okay - even if he was still a zombie, she wanted him to at least be a  _ living  _ zombie.

Stirring awake, Blaine groggily groaned as his limbs stretched out and his hand rubbed at his eyes. Finally, his vision cleared, as he looked around and asked, “Where am I?”

Confused, Lexi sat up and said, “You’re in my home, Blaine, remember?”

“In your home? In Miami? Oh fuck, where’s Eddie? I don’t want him catching us!” The pale man panicked, sitting up and looking all around.

Even more perplexed, Lexi reached over and took his hand, “Blaine, are you okay? I’m divorced, remember? We’re in Seattle - in my home.”

Blaine slowly nodded, as if trying to piece everything together, “Right...right. I’m sorry. I must be hungry.”

“I’ll go make something.”

Lexi didn’t know if the cure had made Blaine human again or if he was still a zombie, either way she hadn’t any brains in the house, but hopefully eggs would suffice. She hoped this temporary senile moment was just that - something was definitely off. Even after reminding him of where he was, her friend still looked confused.

Blaine walked out into the kitchen, as Lexi was cooking, while looking at his phone, “Apparently, I have an appointment with some...Peyton Charles? I don’t know, I left a voicemail, but for the life of me I can’t remember why we’re supposed to meet.”

Knowing all about Blaine’s history with the DA and his mission to legally take Mr. Boss down, his ignorance towards the subject worried her even more. Before she was able to say anything, the brain dealer was shrugging on his jacket, “I have to go to the funeral home and speak to Scott E.”

“Don E,” Lexi corrected, “He’s Don E.”

Frozen, Blaine gulped before nodding with a smile, “Right. Right. I’m sorry, I’m gonna go.”

* * *

Lexi had gotten a call from Don E later that afternoon to meet him at the police morgue, as he was taking Blaine to Ravi. Apparently, Liv and Peyton had visited him and he hadn’t any knowledge at all of the attorney, Mr. Boss, or even leaving the DA a voicemail. Something was definitely wrong.

Lexi’s hands were on his shoulders, as Ravi was taking his blood pressure. Blaine leaned forward and decided to share with the doctor, “Have you met Lexi? She’s my best friend, but I don’t know why she keeps touching me. I don’t mind, but her husband is a bastard and will hurt her if he knows about this.”

Ravi and Lexi exchanged glances, as she leaned into his ear and tried to reason with him, “Blaine, remember, I’m not married anymore.”

“He’s been like this all day, doc.” Don E added.

“Well, he’s human again and I can’t find any reason why he should be having trouble with his memories.” Ravi observed.

Furrowing his eyebrows inwards, Blaine asked, “When was I not human?”

Lexi could see the confusion on Blaine’s face. He was in pain. Everyone around him seemed to be having a conversation that he had no idea about. They were talking about him. Talking about things he should have known, but he didn’t. Why couldn’t he remember? There had to be a reason for this.

Seeing the worried expression written on the woman’s face, Ravi asked to speak to her away from the other men. Something about her made the doctor think that perhaps she was a sensible one and would be honest, despite Blaine being her best friend. Treating him was hard on his part, considering all the harm and damage the brain dealer had caused to Liv and the ones she loved.

“Lexi,” Ravi cleared his throat, as they snuck off to a corner away from prying ears, “Do you think there’s anyway Blaine could be faking this?”

After a brief moment of trying to decipher whether or not the doctor was joking, Lexi cocked an eyebrow upwards and asked, “Are you being serious right now? Why would any of us waste our time in coming here if we believed he was faking this?”

“I’m just saying, he’s had some poor luck lately with Mr. Boss - perhaps faking amnesia would help him get away from helping Peyton and out of any attention, so that Mr. Boss doesn’t know he’s alive. I didn’t mean to offend, I only brought it up because of what we’re all dealing with.”

Taking a protective stance, as if she were a mother protecting her kin, Lexi made her way back to her worried friend. Lacing her fingers through Blaine’s blonde hair, she quietly beckoned, “Come on, Blaine, let’s go home. Ravi can’t help you right now.”


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So - prepare for some graphic smut!

“I don’t understand this, Lex.” 

After taking Blaine back to her apartment, Lexi sat on the window ledge of the bedroom with a lit cigarette in her hand. It was bad habit, but she had had many in her life. Drugs hadn’t even topped her list after being with a man like Eddie Glusken; whatever narcotics she had used in the past could never be worse for her than that man had been.

Besides, she needed a smoke in that moment. The pain on Blaine’s face was far worse than when he had come to her with the news of his terminal illness. It was like an emptiness inside his skull - information was missing. Everything felt like it was on the tip of his tongue, but the more time that went by, the less he remembered.

Looking up, Blaine’s face twisted in distress as he tried to grasp, “Zombies? Zombies, Lexi? I...I don’t understand any of this. I know we used to do a lot of drugs back in the day, but this has to be a joke.”

“Darling,” Lexi started, while getting up to cross to the bed and touch his hand, “Why don’t I make you something? I...have soup.”

“Yea...sure...I guess that would be okay.”

As Lexi got up to go start on the soup, Blaine simply hunched forward and held his head. It had never felt so blank in his mind before. Not that he knew of. Shit, he couldn’t even remember if he had ever felt this way before. It was like being in the Twilight zone - Don E wasn’t Scott E, there was a strange, attractive doctor telling him he was human again, and his best friend was magically not married to an abuse asshole anymore.

Feeling like he was losing his mind, Blaine shot up and marched out to where the kitchen was. The aroma of a delicious soup brewed within his nostrils and for a split second, he remembered his mother. His beautiful mother who did nothing, but love him. The woman had a heart that was perhaps too big, because it simply left room for a man like Angus to come in and ruin her - because men like him enjoyed doing that.

Desperately grabbing for her wrist, Blaine turned Lexi’s attention to him and begged, “What happened when I was sixteen?”

“What do you mean?”

“When I was sixteen, something happened. Something bad. But, I...I want to make sure that it really happened, because maybe then I’m not losing my mind.” The brain dealer spoke frantically, looking into the amber eyes of the woman he had known since he was twelve, as if she held all the answers.

Thinning her lips, Lexi placed the wooden spoon down and looked up to gently confirm, “You were sixteen...Fra Bader found you with your wrist split open...you had lost a lot of blood, Blaine, and you spent a few days in the hospital...why do you want to remember that?”

Swallowing thickly, Blaine admitted, “Because I don’t want to lose my mind...the way you and that doctor looked at me today...as if I should be remembering something I’ve done. But, I can’t remember anything...what if I can’t remember you?”

“Don’t think about that,” Lexi smoothed a hand across his arm and insisted her take a seat, “Let me just finish this and we’ll eat together.”

* * *

 

“So...you’ve been divorced how long?” Blaine asked, as he finished the last of the soup in front of him. 

“Six months.”

Scratching the back of his head, the brain dealer closed his eyes and pinched his nose, “How long were you two married for?”

Lexi folded her arms and say back in her chair, crossing the slim, tan legs that Blaine found himself distracted by. When had she gotten an elephant tattooed on the roof of her right foot? Snapping out of his thoughts, his blue eyes focused on the woman sitting across from him, “Four and a half years,” She answered, “We spent the last three living in Miami, where he’s from. The only good thing from living there was the amount of time I was able to spend on the beach.”

Even with his poor memory, Blaine always knew Lexi as the type of woman who didn’t shy away from anything. It didn’t matter if she was the only female in a room of large, older men. She’d strap on her heels and look each and everyone of them in the eye. It wasn’t easier being part of a company your father built - not many took her seriously. But, she was fierce and fiery and wasn’t going to be put in a box of others’ judgments.

So, when her eyes were shifted away from him, Blaine knew something was wrong. Frowning, he asked as delicately as possible, “He beat you, didn’t he?”

Ruefully smiling, there was a hollowness in Lexi’s eyes as she responded, “When he found out I couldn’t have children...I think he resented me...everything made him resent me. We couldn’t go to business functions without him thinking I was flirting with someone there. I always knew it was coming once we would get home.”

“Why didn’t you leave sooner?”

“I thought I loved him,” Lexi shrugged, before trying to make light of the moment, “I couldn’t let you be right.”

Blaine frowned, lightly scolding, “That isn’t funny, Lex.”

Lexi shrugged, as she stood up to go get the bowls. It was when her hand reached out to grab his that Blaine hand wrapped around her wrist, steadying her so they could look at each other. The lines in his forehead crinkled as his eyebrows furrowed inwards, asking her, “How did we go so long without talking? We could have been going on trips - running out on expensive bills...anything we wanted.”

It was heartbreaking how crestfallen he looked, as Lexi reached up to stroke her hand across his face, “We just both got in with the wrong crowds.”

“Mine apparently turned me into a zombie.”

Blaine felt Lexi’s arms wrap around his shoulders and her natural, full lips press against his forehead. In the depths of his mind, he remembered a few times when they were this sappy with each other. Most of their lives had just been both trying to be as playful and sarcastic little devils that they could be. Why face their real feelings when they could both pretend to choose to believe love didn’t exist?

As Lexi went to let go, Blaine’s hands came up to hold onto Lexi’s sides while gently pushing her back. In one fluid motion, he had stood up and leaned her up against the kitchen counter - their faces only an inch or two apart. He took one of his hands and cupped her cheek with it, using his thumb to stroke the soft skin and ask, “When’s the last time we’ve kissed?”

Running her own hands up his shirt, Lexi answered, “I was twenty, we had vacationed in Amsterdam. And we had partied all night. And we fucked in the tub of our hotel.”

“You were wearing a really tight red dress. And…” Looking down, he motioned to her chest, “When did you get those?”

Despite that Blaine should have remembered that Lexi had gotten implants before her wedding to Eddie and before they had stopped talking, she simply played along and laughed gently, “A while ago...guess I got tired of my best friend telling me how flat chested I was.”

“I’m sorry,” Blaine quickly breathe, leaning down to push his lips against hers, “They were beautiful. You’re beautiful. They’re beautiful now.”

Having not felt an affectionate touch in years, Lexi reached to push Blaine’s head down, further deepening their kiss. She used her other hand to take his and put it on her breast, feeling the span of his fingers encompassing it so it filled his palm. The former zombie didn’t need further guidance, squeezing the flesh gently and eliciting a small moan from his female companion.

Lexi wasn’t sure how much of Blaine’s memory was missing right now, but she figured natural instincts were kicking in as he wrapped his free arm around her waist to bring her even closer against his lithe frame. Even when she and her ex-husband had sex, there had barely been kissing involved, especially towards the end. Feeling her friend’s thin lips against hers was like being welcomed home.

With his memories on the fritz, Blaine couldn’t remember the women he had slept with in the past few years. Jackie, Peyton, Candy; they were names that if told to him, would have no meaning. But, the brain dealer remembered Lexi. Remembered what it felt like to slip his tongue into her mouth and brush up against her own - building a heat between them that was difficult to ignore.

Gently pushing him away, Lexi took a hold of Blaine’s hand and guided him to the bedroom. He was already undoing the buttons of his shirt with his free hand, as his blue eyes focused on her perky ass. God, when had she become such a woman? Was it wrong to be feeling this frisky with his condition looming over them?

Not caring, Blaine felt himself being sat down on the bed, fluidly wrapping his arms around the hotel heiress’s feminine body. Pulling her hourglass figure atop him, Lexi swung her legs to straddle the taller man and reclaim his lips. It had been seven years since they had last been intimate and neither could wait any second longer.

Pushing his hands up under the tan Bodycon dress she was wearing, Blaine took a hold of the woman’s hips and plucked her up. In a seamless motion, the former zombie had Lexi laid out on the soft bed and was crawling atop her body. Her figure just screamed sex to him and whether he remembered much or not, he knew what it meant when his pants were this tight.

“I wonder how pale your dick is going to be now.” Lexi teased, before breathlessly yelping when Blaine’s fingers pinched at her covered nipple.

“I’m human now, remember?” Blaine countered, equally teasing as he leaned down to begin his attack on her neck.

Blaine was barely able to concentrate on Lexi pushing his shirt from off his shoulders, too busy with pulling her dress off. Despite having fake breasts, she wore a strapless bra anyway. Something that irritated the brain dealer, but was quickly removed. He had to stop his frantic pulling at her clothes to stare down at her plump mounds, supporting himself on his right elbow.

Reaching up to knead the flesh of her breasts, Blaine commented, “You must have went to a good doctor.”

Lexi hummed in pleasure, running her hand down his bare chest to unbuckle his belt, “I am happy with the results. Are you?”

Blaine didn’t respond, swooping down to take a taut nipple in between his teeth and flick at the sensitive tip. Lexi’s back arched and her hand pulled away from in between his long legs - brushing up against his groin along the way. He could feel his manhood twitch in excitement, pressed tightly against the cloth of his boxers.

Making sure to give the other nipple just as much attention as the other, Blaine then hastily got up to yank his own pants down - not caring where he tossed it. Lexi pulled herself up, sitting on her knees as her fingers tugged at his boxers to bring him closer. He could barely concentrate once her hand found its way into the slit in his underwear, finding an already erect and leaking cock.

Hungrily kissing each other once more, Blaine pushed his long time friend down on the bed once more. Now both stark naked, the ex-zombie could feel Lexi’s wet and wanting womanhood pressing against his thick staff. In a way, he felt panic coursing through his veins - fearing at any point Eddie was going to walk in, despite her assuring him that she was divorced.

“I don’t think I can wait.” Blaine grunted, reaching down to cup in between her legs.

Thrusting her sex against the palm of his hand, Lexi urged, “Then don’t.”

It wasn’t long after that that Blaine yanked Lexi further down and lifted her legs, positioning himself to easily push inside. Sheathing his length within the tight walls, the blonde haired man had to take a moment to catch his breath and feeling as if it had really been an eternity since they had last been together.

“Fuck, Blaine,” Lexi keened, her breath hitched in the back of her throat as she spread her legs to accommodate his girth and length, “You really make it hard for any man to live up to you in bed.”

“First, you’re the one making me hard. And second,” Leaning down, he gently nipped her jaw and promised, “We’ve only just started.”

Lacing the fingers of his right hand with hers, Blaine pinned her left arm to the bed as he picked her hips up to get a better angle with the other. Lexi’s ankles locked around his waist, wanting to feel as much of him as possible inside her. If there was one thing he remembered about her, he never had to worry about being gentle. His friend liked it rough and was a bit of a pain whore - her words, not his...maybe also his.

With a smooth hit against her cervix, Lexi keened excitedly, “Blaine~”

Blaine had to admit, hearing his name spoken with such sexual undertones turned him on possibly even more than anything physical could. Groaning, he pushed up a knee to get a different angle and continued his thrusting. He wanted to be as close as possible to her, feeling her body morph into his as if it always belonged there.

Each long and hard pump inside had Lexi gasping, reaching with her free hand to drag her nails down his pale skin. The stinging on his back on pushed Blaine, grunting with every buck forward. Their bodies were working together - she was never to type to just lay down and take it. Her hips met his every time, making sure they were both getting all they could out of this.

Remaining inside, Blaine turned them around so he was flat on his back. Immediately taking the cue, Lexi lifted her body up to flawlessly begin riding him. Her body was lean and toned, each muscle working as her hips swung back and forth on top of him. Thank whatever was above them that he remembered how much his friend excelled in this position.

It was once Lexi reached down and begin playing with herself that Blaine felt himself losing it. His hands gripped onto her hips desperately, rocking her back and forth until he felt him emptying all he had deep inside. Any other woman, he would have been pulling out, but he knew his friend’s situation and so he came in her.

Bringing herself to orgasm, Lexi finally stopped rocking. Her brain felt fuzzy from the fast pace grinding and recent climax; allowing herself to be brought down against Blaine’s chest from the other person. They were sweating and reveling in their post coital bliss, both probably have the most exciting sex either had had in a long time.

Raking his fingers through her silky hair, Blaine chuckled, “Fuck I’m glad I didn’t forget how to have sex.”

“Me too.” Lexi purred huskily, kissing his jaw line.

After having rested for a little bit and spending the rest of the night talking, Lexi and Blaine had fallen asleep early. The younger woman wanted to take her friend to Ravi the next day - hopefully there would be some sort of positive outcome. It would be great if the memory loss was only temporary and he could be a human without negative side effects from the zombie cure.

* * *

 

Waking up, Lexi shifted so her body turned to face Blaine’s in bed. Only he wasn’t there. The toilet flushed and she didn’t worry, instead stretching before getting up. Luckily, her cigarettes weren’t far and she decided she was too tired to get up. It was her house after all, so she could smoke wherever she wanted.

Lexi watched Blaine leave the bathroom, smiling as she lit her cigarette, “Sleep well?”

“Yea,” Blaine questionably answered, his eyes looking around the room, “Where am I?”

Frowning, Lexi gently answered, “In my apartment, Blaine…”

“Okay...next question, who are you?”


	5. Chapter Five

Attempting to remain calm, Lexi’s eyebrows furrowed inwards as she asked Blaine, “What do you mean,  _ who am I _ ?”

In the middle of buttoning up his shirt, Blaine looked around and explained, “I apologize if I don’t remember...did we drink last night? Um...I didn’t pay for anything, did I?”

“Are you really thinking you slept with a prostitute?” Hands on her hips, Lexi looked away momentarily before looking back, “Do you really not know who I am…?”

“No...I don’t.”

* * *

The woman known as Lexi looked at him in such despair. As if he should have known who she was. But, Blaine’s mind was blank. To him, she was a stranger. An incredibly good looking one, but any emotional connection they apparently had wasn’t registering in that moment. All he could do was offer her a weak smile of comfort, though; he was sure it did nothing for her. Were they lovers? There were no condoms around, he had checked, but they had both been naked when he woke up.

Ravi was at the apartment early that morning, having gotten Lexi’s distress call. The normally put together independent woman was looking stressed and stiff. She was sitting upright in a chair, her hand holding a cigarette with her arm pulled tightly against her body. Blaine even had to open the door, despite not knowing what was going on.

Not knowing what to say to Lexi, Ravi instead sat Blaine down and pulled out his stethoscope, “How are you feeling today, Blaine?”

“Good...I guess? Do I know you? Do I know her?” He pointed over to Lexi, “I think we slept together last night...sorry.” Blaine added, looking at the woman who looked at him so hollowly.

Lexi wished Blaine remembered that the last thing she cared about is if people knew of their sexual trysts. In any other situation, they would both be flaunting the fact and even go into details to make a person uncomfortable. It was the fact that he didn’t recognize her at all...that he was even apologizing for their activities that caused her heart to ache.

After a few quick tests, Ravi walked over to Lexi and leaned into her ear, “Why don’t we drop him off at the funeral home. Let him be in a familiar place - it could jog his memories.”

“Is this not a familiar place?” Lexi dryly asked, wanting to question if she was not familiar enough to jog any sort of memory.

Ravi knew it was hard, but he also knew that there were no outward signs as to what would be causing a loss in memory. Heart rate seemed normal, breathing was good, even Blaine’s ears were clear. There was nothing that pointed to amnesia, but yet he seemed in even worse shape mentally than he had the previous day.

A thick swallow slid down Lexi’s throat, as she attempted to remain poised and reserved. Uncrossing her legs, she fluidly stood up and walked over to Blaine. There was still a confused and blank look in his eyes. No signs of recognition or underlying knowledge of who she was. At any moment, she hoped he was playing a prank, but there was nothing. It was a nightmare laced with reality.

“We’re going to drop you off at the funeral home now, Blaine.” Lexi quietly spoke, hoping still that he would snap out of it.

“What’s the funeral home?”

* * *

Why did he work at a funeral home? It seemed kind of morbid. Was he a morbid kind of guy? He didn’t know. Apparently, his name was Blaine Debeers. What kind of last name was  _ Debeers _ ? Shit, he had so many questions. Knowing who the hell he was and what he did shouldn’t have felt like it was erased from his mind.

A guy named Don E told him that he was sick. That didn’t sound very medical. Blaine assumed that whatever was ailing him was a lot more serious than just being  _ sick.  _ It wasn’t like he had the common cold. It was like being thrown into a life that he didn’t even remember having - what had he done in his life? How old was he? Shit - more questions. This was going to be exhausting.

“You alright, buddy?”

Don E. It was weird that the guy wasn’t just content with being called Don - he insisted on the E part. And it wasn’t Donnie either - that he especially disliked. Shaking his head, Blaine looked up from his position on a stool to see the bald man standing in front of him, “Sorry. Spacing out…”

Pulling up a chair, Don E sat in it backwards and clasped his hands together, “Hey, listen, buddy, I get it. This is all really confusing and you’re probably wondering why your head feels like a bag of rotten potatoes.”

“Something like that.” Blaine quirked an eyebrow upwards, taken aback by the weird analogy.

“I know this is weird, but maybe going about your duties will help you remember,” Don E nodded encouragingly, “The tables need cleaning.”

Don E was an opportunist. The beneficial thing about looking inconspicuous, was that no one suspected you of being the “idea man”. To everyone, he was just a small time pusher who everyone overlooked. In reality, he was a schemer. He had casually jumped into Blaine’s new business plan and made his way to be the brain dealer’s right hand man. Besides Chief, he was always by his boss’s side.

Now, he was taking advantage of the situation. Sure, Blaine and him had known each other for a while, but they weren’t friends. All they had been were drug dealer buddies working for Mr. Boss until that damn boat party. And even then, it wasn’t like the ex-zombie had gone out to find him. He rarely visited his brother Scott E and didn’t even attend the funeral. That wasn’t a friend.

At first, Don E had felt bad about Blaine’s situation. Having your brain turned into mush didn’t sound fun at all and he might have cut the bastard some slack, if it weren’t for the guy having declared shutting down the Utopium business right before taking the cure. Underneath everything, all Don E was, was a criminal. And he liked it that way.

As Blaine walked away with a rag in his hand, Chief gave Don E a side glance with his one good eye. Ethically, the big zombie disagreed with the treatment of their boss. But, upon seeing his condition and not knowing if and when he’d ever snap out, the bodyguard agreed to go along with the other lackey. It was convenient for the amnesiac to hide under Mr. Boss’s radar, since he was believed to be dead; but the others needed to defend themselves. They needed to be ready for whatever drug war would ensue.

Blaine had wanted to be in charge of who was turned into a zombie and who remained human. Something must have changed even after the Meat Cute incident, where before all of his workers were members of the undead. It almost seemed unfair to Chief that his originals were turned without consent, but not others like Don E and Candy were given the privilege of staying human. It was almost satisfying to not only watch the makeup artist be turned, but to scratch his  _ friend. _

Walking up to Chief, Don E whispered, “We don’t tell him anything.”

Sternly nodding, the tall zombie took out his phone and typed, “ _ What about Lexi?” _

“That tart?” Don E snorted, his eyes darkening, “She’s on Blaine’s side - even if he can’t remember who the hell she is. No way she’d approve of this - we don’t tell her anything.”

* * *

No one really believed in Blaine’s condition. Over the next few days, both Liv and Peyton had been to the funeral home and had expressed their skepticism for the amnesia. It was a good thing zombies couldn’t sense each other as neither suspected Don E now walked amongst the undead. With the DA’s ongoing investigation against Mr. Boss, he didn’t want anyone knowing that he and Chief had picked up where their former boss had left off.

As Blaine rearranged the chairs for an afternoon wake, there was a ring at the door. Chief and Don E were downstairs, a place where both told him to stay out of. The former zombie didn’t want to make waves or make a bad impression with his boss, so he did as he was told and stayed vigilant on his everyday duties.

Walking to the door, Blaine opened it to see the woman who had taken him to Ravi on the other side. The one who looked at him with such sorrow when he couldn’t remember who she was. It wasn’t like he didn’t feel bad, but he didn’t know anything. Not even who he was, he just wanted whoever she was to understand.

Forcing a smile, Blaine welcomed her in, “Lexi, right?”

Blaine had to admit, if he and this woman really did have a sexual past, he was sorry he didn’t remember it. The long sleeved, short skirt gray dress hugged her thin, yet thick in the right places body and left little to the imagination. If he could remember her, he would know she enjoyed showing her figure off and didn’t care what names she was called, because she carried herself with confidence.

Forcing a smile, Lexi nodded while looking around. Blaine closed the door behind them and cleared his throat, “Can I offer you some tea? Coffee?”

It was strange hearing Blaine so hospitable. Lexi chose to ignore the gesture and instead ask, “How are you feeling?”

“Well, better...I guess? I mean, I still don’t remember anything, but I’m working, so there’s that?” Blaine shrugged, not really sure how he felt.

It didn’t sound at all like the Blaine she knew. There was uncertainty in his voice. Questioning. The man she grew up with never questioned. Pondered maybe, but that was it. It was like someone had castrated her friend and he couldn’t even remember who he was beforehand. How could Lexi make him remember?

“You look...so sad when you look at me,” Blaine observed, “Was I someone important to you?”

That question stung deep, Lexi closing her eyes to remain strong and not let the hurt dwell for too long. After all she had been through - an abusive husband, she found that having the man who she cared about the most forgetting who she was hurt more than any hit that was delivered by her ex.

Changing subjects, Lexi instead asked, “Have you gone to Ravi today? You should check in with him.”

“That’s the doctor at the morgue, right?”

Lexi nodded, “He should be kept updated on your progress and situation.”

Before Blaine could say anything, Don E seemingly came out of nowhere and grinned with his hands in his pockets, “Lexi, we weren’t expecting you.”

Unaware of the shift in power, Lexi simply held her hand purse in front of her and nodded, “I was simply stopping by to check on Blaine. How is the business going?”

“Great,” Don E responded quickly, “Great. Smooth sailing. Great to see ya.”

Lexi held Don E’s gaze for a moment, before turning back to Blaine and taking a step closer, “If you need anything, my number is in your phone. Take care, Blaine.” She forced herself to say, reaching out to touch his hand before reluctantly leaving, hoping...no, praying this amnesia was only temporary.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I've taken so long to update!! X.X

Lexi had been out having a liquid lunch, when her ears had picked up on chatter of narcotics. Rich people were notorious drug users. They just hid it better or at least they thought they did. It just meant what they were buying was more expensive than what was on the streets and she was not about to sit there and pretend like she hadn’t been a willing participant before.

While holding a glass of white wine, Lexi overheard a discussion of  _ Lucky U.  _ Which, tugged at her curiosity. Before Blaine decided to inject himself and forget who everyone was, including himself; he had told Lexi about his desires to stop the Utopium selling business. It was what had gotten him almost killed in the first place and upon evaluating life, he felt it wasn’t worth it anymore. The only thing he was wanting to continue was the selling of brains and she wondered if that was for money, or if he had been truly becoming sentimental.

Curious, Lexi took a sip of her wine before slipping off and sensually making her way to the two men who were sat in a booth. Their eyes shifted from each other to the woman approaching them, obviously pulled in by the maroon dress that clung to every curve and every flat surface it could. 

“Sorry to interrupt, boys,” Lexi put on her best sensual voice, playing up the fake politeness that most chauvinistic men of their nature appreciated in a woman, “I couldn’t help, but overhear you two while I was sitting at the bar. Who’s getting lucky?”

Sitting back smugly, one of the men asked, “You feeling like getting lucky, baby? We could take you right now to the bathroom, have a party.”

Easing herself down into the chair across from them, Lexi crossed her legs and explained, “I’m much more interested in the stimulant you were both talking about?”

“These rich bitches are always fucking junkies,” His friend snorted, while leaning in, “Lucky U. Gets your higher than just that regular Utopium crap. Sold by some freaky pale dudes, but who cares. You’re wanting some, you’re gonna have to pay us.”

“How fresh is the batch?”

“Just got it this morning.” He answered.

Taking a gulp of her wine, Lexi then stood up and shook her head, “Don’t you know that shit is bad for you? And both of you, shut your mouths. Disrespect is so not attractive.”

* * *

 

While Lexi was doing some digging, Blaine was on his own. He ended up with Ravi - the only person who he felt was giving him the right answers that he needed. Everything seemed confusing. Shit wasn’t right at the funeral home. He couldn’t put his finger on it, but he could feel it. The way Don E and Chief skirted around him - making sure he always knew his place, it didn’t sit right. 

The situation with Peyton was confusing. Who was Mr. Boss and why did he have something to do with him? Why was she so angry at him? And who was this Lexi woman and why did she look at him as if he was her world, but he couldn’t remember it? It didn’t seem like he meant anything to Ravi, which was probably a good thing.

Sitting in the doctor’s office, Blaine had his head down as Ravi explained everything to him. It was about time. He needed it. It had been probably (he didn’t know) the worst week of his life. This constant feeling of emptiness, like something was on the tip of his tongue but nothing was coming to him. It was disheartening and he needed to know.

Of course, Ravi didn’t know anything about Blaine’s past. He couldn’t tell him the abuse by his father’s hands, his evil nanny, and how his mother died, but he could tell the former brain dealer of everything he had done since stepping in Liv’s life. Which, seemed like a lot. Honestly, how was he capable of doing all of that.

Slowly shaking his head, Blaine asked, “Well, how does that woman Lexi factor into this. You haven’t explained that.”

Sighing, Ravi had his hands folded atop his desk and explained the best he could, “From what I gather, she’s someone from your past. Someone who meant a lot and who you had a falling out with. Upon realizing you were dying, you reached out to make amends. Which, it seems you had before you lost all your memories. Have you not spoken to her?”

“I can’t. She just looks at me like I should know shit, but I don’t. Fuck...this is a mess.” Blaine shook his head again, still refusing to believe everything he had heard.

Ravi sighed. He hated to admit that he felt sympathy for the poor bastard. After everything the man had put them all through, he honestly shouldn’t have felt bad for Blaine. But, admittedly, this wasn’t anything that anyone deserved. And besides, it was almost not even fair to dislike someone when they were so downtrodden. 

Leaning forward, the doctor proclaimed, “I promise, Blaine, I’m working on a solution.”

“What if this is just me now?” He sadly asked, “What if I’ll never remember who I once was?”

Ravi frowned, contemplating how to answer before giving it his best, “Then you simply live with that knowledge and create who you want to be.”

* * *

 

The last thing Don E was expecting when he opened the door to Shady Plots, was Lexi on the other side. Especially, when the woman was looking at him sourly. Lexi was not a tall woman, but with heels on she came about eye level with the man and he almost jerked back from the intensity that was glaring at him.

“Ugh...hey, Lexi, what can I do for ya?”

Pushing passed him, Lexi stepped into the business and demanded, “Why am I hearing that Lucky U is still on the streets?”

The demand cause Don E to nervously chuckle, attempting to lie in response, “What? Where the hell did you hear that? C’mon, we’re just brain dealers, remember?”

“I was at lunch and overheard two men talk about just getting a supply this morning; did you learn nothing from what happened to Blaine?”

Jaw tightening, Don E attempted once more to convince Lexi otherwise, “I don’t know where you heard that, but why am I getting the sense of judgement here? It ain’t like any of us are saints - I’ve heard plenty about you and your love for some white powder back in the day. I got friends,  _ Alexa,  _ and before you decided to hop out of Seattle, plenty of coke dealers knew your name.”

Lexi’s eyes narrowed at the mention of her past. Again, she wasn’t denying it happened. She and Blaine were wild when they were younger. Anything to make their fathers angry, they did. And during the height of their party days, she certainly partook in the debauchery that was offered in front of her. Life was all about moving on from former mistakes and she wouldn’t have it thrown back in her face.

Taking a calculated step closer, Lexi sneered, “Blaine told you to stop the Utopium business.”

“Yea, well in case you haven’t noticed, Blaine is a little off his rocker lately,” Don E’s voice began to rise, “I don’t know who you think you are coming into her demanding shit. You ain’t married to him. This ain’t your business. We’re fucking criminals, bitch, we ain’t here to save the fucking world. All those zombies out there, Blaine created them. So, don’t act like he’s doing something good by wanting to brain business going. My brother was on that boat because Blaine got him into dealing for Mr. Boss. He went nuts, got sent to the looney bin, and was killed by some bitch. This train don’t stop because suddenly your boy grew a conscience.”

Lexi remained unwavered throughout Don E’s rant, but she could see the red in his eyes beginning to come out. At first, she hadn’t been aware of the drug dealer’s transformation, but upon seeing the color of his skin the last time she was over, she had had her suspicions. He was really taking advantage of Blaine’ situation.

Holding her chin up, Lexi dryly stated, “Blaine considered you a friend. You may not see it that way, but he is trying to save you. Mr. Boss would have been successful in killing him if Blaine hadn’t turned. You’re zombies, but that doesn’t mean one of his lackeys won’t go for the head just because.”

In the midst of her speaking, the telltale sounds of Chief’s heavy footing echoed as he joined the two. Like the good bodyguard he was, he stood off to the side with his hands held in front of him. Despite the fact that Don E was a zombie and could easily hurt Lexi, she saw his confidence go up with the bigger man now in the room.

“You know,” Don E began, while leaning into her, “You’re lucky I didn’t decide to make you my bitch. Blaine gets all the hot girls - lawyer lady, Candy, you. I could scratch you now and keep you in this basement as a pet. You realize what kind of monster I am?”

Steady, Lexi leaned in, never once taking her eyes from his as she spelled out, “I lived with a monster for four years. You don’t scare me.”

Chief observed the moment between the two, not bothering to step in. The air was heavy around them and the stand off was intense. Don E, upon being a zombie, had newfound confidence and it seemed Lexi was the type to never falter, even when she knew how outnumbered she was. It made him curious as to what his new business partner was going to do.

A hand snaked around to the back of Lexi’s head, fingers slowly tugging at her hair. It all happened slowly, the way her neck was pulled back. It was as if Don E was testing her. Seeing if she struggled, yelled, cursed. Reacted in anyway, but all she did was keep her gaze. Her body was incredibly still, her feet planted on the ground. It was almost impressive.

Suddenly grinning, Don E let go and almost cheerfully quipped, “Alright, out ya go. Have a good day, I’ll tell Blaine ya said hi!”

It was only then Lexi’s shoulder rolled and she looked away from him. She gave one last look to Chief, before stepping out. Don E made sure to slam the door behind her, growling as he ran his hand over his head and just grumbling, “Really hate that bitch.”


End file.
